Is the library obsolete? Not yet, but the Internet offers some pretty
powerful research tools nowadays. We'll visit five examples in today's
Bus ride and see what they can offer to searching surfers. But before
we start, here's another way to get smarter without leaving the comfort
of your keyboard...

You can search the first "real" encyclopedia on the Internet with a
free 7-day trial membership. Britannica Online is an award-winning
service provided by the same people who print the Encyclopedia
Britannica. It consists of a fully searchable and browsable
collection of authoritative references, including Britannica's
latest article database, Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary
and links to related Web sites selected by Britannica editors.

The depth and professional quality of this site makes an extended
visit worthwhile, but membership beyond that point is rather
expensive. A subscription costs $14.95 per month or $150 per year.
Maybe I'll shell out the bucks if the next edition can answer my
"What is a Tourbus?" query. Tarbush?? Not even close! :-)

This is a project in which people from around the world are invited
to provide entries for a free online encyclopedia. The content is
not professional writing, but many of the entries are whimsical,
making it a fun read. Sounds like a great way to use the combined
brain power of the Internet community in a collaborative way.

The site was not responding as this issue of TOURBUS was being
prepared, so give it a try later on if you can't get through. The
saying "Information wants to be free" but you also get what you pay
for. I think *quality* information will always command a price,
both online and off.

The Electric Library helps you conduct real research over the
Internet, using a database of 150 full-text newspapers, 800
full-text magazines, two international newswires, 2000 classic
books, as well as maps, photographs, works of literature and art.

Search results are ranked in relevancy order, displaying the
document title, source, author, date of publication, size, and
grade reading level. The materials can be printed, or saved into a
word processing document with bibliographic information included.

You can even limit searches by publication, date, title, and
author. I put EL to the test by searching on "Unabomber sympathy"
to see if it could find that wacky "Unabomber may be a nice guy
after all" story that USA Today printed a few months ago. (EL did
find it and served up the full text.)

Searching The Electric Library is free, but you need to register
for a free trial membership before you can view the text of a
document in your search results. The free trial lasts two weeks,
after which you're on the hook for $9.95 a month if you choose to
subscribe.

This is a page listing dozens of special purpose online and printed
encyclopedias. Check out Gazebo Garden (online encyclopedia of
perennial gardening), the Book of Parrots, or Encyclopedia Mystica
(an on-line encyclopedia on mythology, folklore & mysticism).

Encyclopaedia Arabica covers peoples, cultures, and languages that
are related to the Arab world and the Middle East in general. (So
why is the site on a Norwegian server? Visit and find out.) This
site offers a wealth of information, and is also a rather slick
showcase of the creator's Web expertise. There's a "What's New?"
popup that appears in a separate window when you arrive, and a very
clever animated GIF that displays a set of photos inside a book.
Webmasters, study this one!

That's all for today, but let me add a quick reminder that online
search technology is not always the best solution. Sometimes asking
a real live human librarian will get you there quicker. Hey, that's
what they do for a living - use their services and thank them! And
perhaps a visit to today's sponsor will net you some gift ideas...